News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-01-20
THE BATTLE OF BULL RUN.
A CONGREsSMAN'S ACCOUNT OF
THE FEDERAL FLIGHT.
a Few Prominent Men Make the
Fleeing Soldiers Turn-The Story
of an Eye Witness.

battle of Bull Run. II was in Congress
at the time" said Mr.. Riddle, 'tand the
reason l went to the battle was this: The
Cleveland Grays, commanded by General
Mcdowell McCook, were at the front,
and were the finest company in the finest
regiment of the entire army. | had
promised to go to the front and join them
in their first battle, and in pursuance OF
this promise, two carriage loads of us,
knowing that there was to be fight on
that memorable Sunday, left Washing
ton about 3 o'clock in the morning to
see it."
"Who were in the party2'
"There were Senators Chandler and
Wade, Congressman Blake, Morris and
myself, all from Ohio; Mr.. Brown, the
Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate; Major
Eaton of Michigan, a friend of Mr..
Chandler's, and Tom Brown of the Treas
ury Department, friend of Mr.. Wade's.
We got breakfast at fairfax Court House,
and reached the headquarters of the
army at Centreville about daylight, pro-
vided with passes from General Scott
that would take us everywhere. At
Centreville found that the Grays were
in the advance on the skirmish line, and,
of course could not join them, as l had
hoped and expected. However, we left
our teams at a temporary hospital near
Centreville, and went Oh, walking into
the line of battle. After awhile, when
we supposed the battle was over, we
went back to the hospital, where we
had left the teams, thinking that
the Union sroops had been victorious,
anu there found several hundred soldiers,
cfr Cro+horoI orO,,pH
"Well, as | said, we supposed that
the battle was over and our troops sue
cessful, and were doing what we could
to assist the wounded, when to our great
surprise a splendid column of the ia
nous Black Horse Cavalry, of which
you have read so much, came charging
down upon us. At first we supposed
they were our troops, but soon saw they
were rebels, and made rush for a big,
stout six-rail Virginia fence near by. A
good many who had guns and revolvers
whipped them out, and as the cavalry
stopped and poured a volley into us we
returned it with some vigor and effect,
for, as they rode off after that first vol
ley, we could see several riderless horses.
Young McCook, a brother of the Gen
eral, who was doing private's duty,
was killed by their fire among others on
our side. Well, although the Black
Horse Cavalry disappeared as suddenly
as they came, every man around the hos
pital who could move his legs became
panic-stricken instantly, and stampeded.
In minute the place was deserted by
all except our party, and we then got
into our carriages and started toward
Washington.
Gas we moved along the woods on
each side of the road appeared to empty
themselves of soldiers, who were all run
ming as fast as they could, and pretty
soon the road became blockaded by
teams, army wagons, riderless horses,
wounded men, cannon and everything
that had the power of motion, all pulling
and hauling and shouting, and climbing
over one another, in the greatest excite
ment and confusion. Soldiers were
throwing away their guns, their KNAPP
sacks, and unloading themselves for
fight. Army teamsters were cutting
their horses loose from the wagons, ar
tillery men were doing the same, and you
never saw and no one can imagine g
wilder or more bewildering spectacle.
Everybody seemed to have gone crazy.
81 saw little drummer boy who had
got under the feet of of some horses, and,
after much difficulty, extricated him, and
put him on the box of our carriage, which
by that time was loaded down with
frightened soldiers, trying to get away
from the battle. We turned them all off,
and the newspapers afterward said that
we refused to assist wounded men. That
was one of the charges they made against
me.
I'm the crowd saw E. 2. Washburne,
OF Illinois, and Congressman Shanks, OF
indiana, with S3iOII hate or, tying -
rally the men and persuade the soldiers
to turn back and do their duty. But it
had no effect whatever. The whole mass
of men were like a lot of frightened cat
tie, and seemed to think of nothing but
getting to some place of safety, and the
whole crowd, which was growing larger
and larger until it numbered several
thousands, would have run as far as
Washington had not Mr.. Wade aud Mr..
Chandler, who were in their carriage
ahead of US, got out and stopped them.
"When we were about a mile from
Fairfax we saw Senator Henry Wilson
drive by alone in light buggy, and
called to him. He told US to hurry on,
as the rebels were coming. Then we saw
Mr.. Wade and Mr.. Chandler get out
with their rifles. l asked them what
they were going to do, and Mr.. Wade
replied that they were going to stop the
runaways.' We alighted with them, and
taking guns we had picked up on the
roadside, or revolvers that we had taken
with us, the eight of US stretched across
the road and forbade any man to pass.
The flying men saw that we were in ear
nest, and Mr.. Wade and Mr.. Chandler
used some strong language to bring them
to their senses.
sold Ben stood in the middle of the
road with his hat on the back of his head
and his rife in his hand, and said he
would shoot the first man who attempted
to run any further. Mr.. Chandler was
very much excited. His face was pale
and his ewes were bloodshot, and in his
hand he had big navy revolver, which
he was brandishing in the air, while
shouting to the panic-stricken soldiers
that they were lot of fools and towards,
and could not retreat any further unless
they went over his dead body. The rest
of us did what we could, and in few
moments we had the crowd at bay.
E'The only man who passed us was a
soldier bearing dispatches from General
MacDowell to General Scott at Washing.
ton and we would not let him 90 until
we found out what his errand was. A
teamster. who had cut horse loose
from an army wagon, and was riding
him with tho harness on, accidentally
fired his revolver, and the shot, which /
could hear as it passed me, took effect
in the wrist of Major Eaton, Mr. Chan
dler's friend. This caused some confu-
sion, but did not make any difference.
Not a man got by our line, and many Of
the soldiers, becoming ashamed of their
cowardice, joined us in trying to stop
the panic.
"Order was somewhat restored, and
the retreat was stopped, when Colonel
Crane of the Second New Jersey, who
had been on duty at Fairfax Court House,
came up with his regiment, andasked what
was the trouble. MIR. Wade explained to
him the situation, and he said he would
relieve us. He soon brought order out
of confusion, reformed the men, and
then we went on our way toward Wash
inston.
"When we got to Fairfax Court House
we were stopped by an officer on duty
there, who, seeing that our carriage was
full of muskets we had picked up on the
roadside, asked what we were going to
do with them. We told him where we
got them, and said we proposed to give
them to men who would use them on the
enemy instead of throwing them away.
Afrer some conversation we surrendered
the arms to him, glad to be relieved Of
our burden, and then proceeded on our
way, reaching Washington about day
light the next morning"